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National Design Award Winners Announced

A gala in October, chaired by Richard Meier, will fete the honorees and finalists.

Meaghan O'Neill -- Interior Design, 6/14/2006 12:00:00 AM

Established in 2000 “to broaden awareness of the role of design in daily life,” the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s National Design Awards are some of the most anticipated awards in the industry. Now, the museum is already gearing up to fete the winners of its seventh annual awards, which honor individuals in all areas of design—including architecture, interior and landscape design, patronage, and more.

The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to architect Paolo Soleri for his lifelong dedication to experimentation in urban planning, especially his concept of "Arcology," or architecture in accordance with ecology. The Design Mind Award—which this year goes to Paola Antonelli, curator in the department of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art—recognizes “a visionary who has affected a shift in design thinking or practice.”

The Architecture Design Award goes to Thom Mayne, principal of Morphosis and a previous Pritzker Prize winner. Michael Gabellini, principal at Gabellini Sheppard Associates, takes the honors for interior design. Martha Schwartz of Martha Schwartz Partners is the recipient of the landscape design award. The award for product design goes to Bill Stumpf, a principal at Stumpf Weber Associates. His now-famous Aeron chair for Herman Miller is the best-selling office chair of all time.

This year’s Design Patron Award recognizes Miami-based real estate developer Craig Robins, who helped integrate art and design into the local community, and was instrumental in bringing the Art Basel Fair to Miami in 2002.

Nominations were solicited from more than 800 people in the design community; finalists and winners were selected by a jury that includes Cindy Allen, editor in chief of Interior Design; Yves Behar principal of Fuseproject; and Roger Mandle, president of the Rhode Island School of Design; among others.

Both finalists and winners will be honored at a gala dinner at the Cooper-Hewitt on October 18 in New York. Richard Meier will chair the event, and Laura Bush will serve as the honorary patron.

Also in October, the Cooper-Hewitt will introduce National Design Week, an education initiative promoting greater understanding of design. During this event, programs, panel discussions, and the museum's Web site will feature content that teachers nationwide can use in their curricula.

Images: Top, Paolo Soleri's Sky Suite, Arcosanti, 1978; photo by Iolanda Lima. Center: Miami International Airport Sound Attenuation Wall in Miami, by Martha Schwartz, 1996; photo by Alan Ward. Bottom: Michael Gabellini's Top of the Rock, Grand Atrium, Rockefeller Center in New York, 2005; photo by Paul Warchol.